It didn’t take long for free agency to get interesting. Just a few hours into the first day of the National Basketball Association’s biggest offseason period, superstar LeBron James made his decision to join the Los Angeles Lakers for the next four years for $153.3 million.
The Orlando Magic were relatively quiet on the first day but still made noise, nonetheless. In the waning hours of July 1, the Magic re-signed power forward Aaron Gordon to a four-year contract extension, according to a report by ESPN’s Marc Spears.
Gordon was a restricted free agent this summer, drawing interest from the Lakers, according to a report by CBSsports.com’s Chris Barnewall, and has now seen a significant increase to his salary.
The 22-year-old was on a four-year, $18 million contract that ended with him being paid $5.5 million last season. With his new contract, Gordon will make $84 million over the next four years, starting with $18.75 million next season. He will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2022 when he will be 26 years old.
Last year, Gordon was limited by injuries but still scored a career-high 17.6 points per game — nearly a five-point increase from the 2016-17 season — in 58 appearances, 57 starts. However, he did shoot a career-low 43.4 percent from the field, but he was also shooting more: He attempted 4.1 more shots per game and 2.6 more 3s per game than his 2016-17 self.
Where Gordon improved the most was, perhaps, his deep-range shooting. He saw an almost-five-percent improvement in his 3-point accuracy from the 2016-17 season to the 2017-18 season, as he shot a career-high 33.6 percent from 3 last year.
Each season, Gordon has increased his 3-point output, averaging just 0.3 3s made per game as a rookie and, most recently, recording two 3s per game in 2017-18.
With a long-term deal, Gordon shows his optimism for a Magic franchise that has missed the playoffs for a team record six-straight seasons. Last season, Orlando finished 25-57, its worst record since the 2014-15 season with the same result.
“It’s been a heartbreaker. It really shows what you are made of,” Gordon said, per Spears’ report. “But all I am going to do is keep taking the right actions, keep working hard; be egoless with my teammates and the organization I’m with; continue to work and play the right way until we get to the time where we’re ready to make steps and waves in the playoffs and win championships.
“The time will come; I have no doubt about that. It’s just a matter of being ready when it comes.”
Gordon’s re-signing shows signs of the Magic developing its young core. Next season, assuming the team avoids injuries, the Magic will combine Gordon and 2018 draftee Mohamed Bamba.
The NBA is only in Day 2 of its offseason frenzy. Orlando might not be done yet.
For more on the Magic, as they continue to develop their roster for the 2018-19 season, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.
To contact Victor, you can email him at vtan@newdayreview.com, or you can tweet at him.
